Lifetime apparently plans on wasting little time milking its recent Project Runway acquisition for all it's worth.
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Dubbed Models of the Runway, the spin-off will provide viewers a look at the reality series through the eyes of the models who participate in it, Weinstein told The Hollywood Reporter after a Lifetime programming presentation on Monday afternoon.
Models of the Runway is scheduled to debut this November alongside Lifetime's premiere of Project Runway's sixth-season, according to Weinstein.
Last week, Lifetime Networks and The Weinstein Company announced a five-year deal to bring Project Runway to Lifetime from Bravo -- an acquisition that prompted Bravo's NBC Universal parent company to file a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court against The Weinstein Company.
"That's the one thing I can't talk about," Weinstein told The Reporter, which added Weinstein "appeared confident" that the lawsuit wouldn't affect Lifetime's plan to broadcast Project Runway's sixth season in November.
In addition, Weinstein also commented on Project Runway judge Nina Garcia reprising her role on the show for Lifetime.
While fashion guru Tim Gunn and lead judge Heidi Klum will both be making the move to Lifetime, the network's acquisition announcement made no mention of Garcia or fellow judge Michael Kors, who are reportedly both still negotiating new contracts.
Making Garcia's situation more complicated is that she was reportedly fired from position as Elle magazine's fashion director -- a job she's held since 2000 -- last Friday. Garcia had initially been selected for Project Runway's judging panel due to the fact that Elle was a founding sponsor of the show, with each season's winner receiving an Elle photo spread as part of their prize package.
However despite her reported ouster, Bravo has stated that Garcia is "expected" to remain as a judge for the show's currently casting fifth season and Weinstein sounded as though she'll also most likely be onboard for the show's Lifetime debut.
"Nina wants to stay with us and we want her to be," Weinstein told The Reporter.
In addition to Models of the Runway, Weinstein also told The Reporter that the company is also developing Project Pygmalion, a new reality competition series that will transform its winner and help her enter into high society, for Lifetime. Project Pygmalion is currently slated to debut in 2009, according to Weinstein.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
